


Deathbed

by ChildishSadism



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M, One-Sided Attraction, alternative universe, crownsguard prompto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 06:34:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16781542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChildishSadism/pseuds/ChildishSadism
Summary: Kinkmeme Prompt.Prompto was never one to sit around and do nothing. He couldn't just hide when the world was going to shit, but he was making his own path, his own choices. He only wished the new prince he was tasked to guard had the same luck. Unfortunately, the world is never a fair place.





	Deathbed

**Author's Note:**

> This is a kink meeeeme prompt: https://ffxv-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/5690.html?thread=11085114#cmt11085114
> 
> It is sad and that's all there is to it.
> 
> It is also a one-sided relationship, in which Noctis falls for Prompto.
> 
> Noctis is 15 and Prompto is 20. 
> 
> I posted this on tumblr already, but due to tumblr being a cock lately, I'm going to be crossposting a lot of shit. 
> 
> Warnings: sadness. 
> 
> Tumblr: https://demnocts.tumblr.com/

The large grandfather clock was noisy and old. The ticking seconds were impossible to miss and the loud bell that would ring every hour would echo through the rooms and the hallways. It was a clock that had been there since Noctis couldn’t remember. The paint was slowly fading and the rusty numbers were ready to fall off any second. He wasn’t sure why no one had bothered to maintain it. No one ever came to fix the paint that was peeling off at the bottom, and no one ever came to fix the ticking one of the hands seem to have whenever two came around.

The clock kept ticking, every second the ticking kept going. It was still working, and it was still doing its job, but it was falling apart, and there was no one that bothered to fix it. No one cared about the clock because it was still working, because it was still moving. No one was probably going to care until the hands stopped moving and the ticking came to a stop. For now, it kept going and that was all that mattered.

Noctis hated that old clock. Probably because it controlled his whole life.

It rang loud and clear starting at six in the morning. He woke up every time but pretended to be asleep to ignore the world outside his room, but it didn’t take long before people were swarming his room. He was forced to wake up and someone quickly rushed him to the bathroom to bathe. Another maid was taking care of his hair and carefully scrubbing his body until he was clean and ready to go.

It was another servant’s job to help him get dressed. He could do it himself but it was a lot easier to just let them do it. It was a waste of time for him to do all of this on his own and time was something precious. It was something that couldn’t be wasted.

The damned clock rang again at seven. It was time for his breakfast.

The silent breakfast that he and his father shared. One of his father’s assistants would be talking about their schedule and the events they had going on during the day, and through the whole thing, no one bothered to talk to Noctis. He was playing with his food, poking at his eggs and only nibbling some of his toast with jam.

“Do well today, Noctis,” Regis said as he finished his breakfast and got up.

“Yes, dad,” Noctis replied as he had done for the past fifteen years of his life.

The clock rang at eight. It was time for his private tutoring.

Ignis was the name of his tutor. He was a crownsguard and one of the bodyguards that were there to protect Noctis. He was a quiet, polite man that had an odd ability to teach things very easily. Noctis had no problems following his lectures, and he also never struggled to understand any subject Ignis was teaching him. It was the extent of their relationship.

“Good morning, your highness,” Ignis greeted Noctis as he came inside the small study area next to Noctis’ room. He was already carrying the books they were going to be using.

“G’morning,” Noctis replied and sat on his chair before a book was placed in front of him.

“We last left off during the first war-”

The lecture started and Noctis tried not to get distracted. He tried but in the end, he was drifting off, his eyes slowly staring at the window as the sun started to change the color of the sky. He leaned his face against his arms, answering Ignis’ questions with a boring, monotone voice. The lecture kept going and at some point, Ignis’ voice was replaced by the ticking of the clock. The lecture was going to end soon, he just knew it, but as it kept going he couldn’t help himself but wonder who was Ignis. What did he do besides teaching? Did he have a family? Did he live here in the citadel or somewhere else?

Noctis wanted to ask so many questions, but it was pointless. He tried before when he was younger and every question wasn’t met with an answer but a wall. A thick wall that everyone around him seemed to have, maybe including him.

The clock rang at 10. It was time for Noctis to train.

Gladio was his personal trainer. He was built like a brick and had the rough attitude of one. He was a good fighter and without question a great trainer. He would warm up Noctis with easy exercises and not half an hour later he had him warping around the room until Noctis couldn’t do it anymore. It was a way of pushing his magic and forcing him to have more resilience.

“Again, you have to be able to recover faster. Remember that you have unlimited magic, the only limit you got is the one of your body. Make it stronger and tougher!” Gladio’s words were true.

Noctis knew that his magic, in reality, had no limit. He knew this very well. He was told this every day. It wasn’t just Gladio that would talk about it, but also Ignis, his dad, Clarus, Cor, everyone. Everyone wouldn’t shut up about it.

“You are the vessel, Noctis.”

He knew this. He did. He was trying. Noctis was the first Lucis to learn how to warp at the age of four. He was the first Lucis that was able to use the armiger at the age of ten. He was the first Lucis to be able to use magic since he was no older than three. He was the first Lucis to break all the records. He was the true prodigy that everyone wanted. But it was not enough, it was never enough.

Training went on like his studies. At some point, Gladio’s voice drifted off and Noctis mind wandered off. He could sometimes see the glaives warping outside. He could see them flying through the sky and looking almost like real birds. Noctis couldn’t get that high, the ceilings in the citadel were not tall enough and even if he did, there wasn’t a blue sky ready to greet him, but the cold marble and stone that made the Citadel what it was.

The training ended when the clock rang. It was one in the afternoon and it was time for lunch.

Noctis sat on the large table by himself, his fork lazily poking at his food again. He moved the vegetables to the side and ate the fish that was dripping with a thick sauce. The food didn’t really have a taste, it was something he was chewing and swallowing, not bothering to notice the hint of lemon or anything of the like. Food was food.

Lectures were Lectures. Training was training. Everything just was. Everything just was as it had to be.

It was after lunch that Noctis was approached by Cor. He was walking towards Noctis with someone following behind him, someone that Noctis didn’t know. Cor stopped in front of Noctis and bowed before stepping to the side to let the crownsguard behind him be seen.

“Your Highness, this is Prompto Argentum. He’ll be your new bodyguard from now on,” Cor said and glanced over at the crownsguard until he was bowing in front of the prince.

“What happened to Nyx?” Noctis frowned and looked in between the two before he gave Prompto a small nod of recognition.

“Nyx was drafted. He was called to the front lines,” It was the last thing Cor said before leaving Prompto and Noctis alone.

Noctis said nothing. He stood there and watched as Cor walked away. Nyx had been his bodyguard for the past four years. He wasn’t any different from anyone else, but it was someone that was always there. It was the person that would follow Noctis after his training and lectures were done. He was the person he spent the most time with and now, now he was gone and no one bothered to tell Noctis.

The clock rang again. It was time to move on.

Noctis wasn’t sure if Prompto knew his way around the citadel but there wasn’t much at all to learn. The right wing was dedicated to Noctis and no one else. The only people allowed inside were those Cor would give permission to. Noctis was never allowed to leave. He couldn’t remember ever leaving this side of the citadel. It felt like so long ago when he was first left in his room by his father. He was probably no older than six. It was also the first time he heard the ticking of the clock.

It was two in the afternoon and Noctis ended up guiding Prompto to the last room in the right wing. The double doors were large and extended all the way to the ceiling. The silver-like metal was molded into the shape of a goddess whose name had been forgotten by time. Noctis pushed the doors open and the room inside was glowing. The blue glow was bright enough to illuminate the whole room, making it pointless to have lights inside.

A sudden whistle had Noctis blinking in confusion and glancing back to see who had done that.

Prompto’s eyes were wide, he was the one that whistled in amazement when they stepped inside the room. He was in awed. The crystal inside was beautiful. It looked like something out of a fantasy book, something that just didn’t belong in this world. The glow coming from it looked alive, like thick and delicate strings of silk that looked soft to the touch. He wanted to reach out and touch it but he knew better, it especially became more evident when that same strings of light were slowly moving towards Noctis.

It was almost as if the crystal was welcoming him.

Noctis walked around the room and picked up a large pillow before laying down on top of it. He used his magic to make a book appear from within his own personal belongings and then just started reading.

Prompto stood there, looking around the room and without any clue of what to do. He was fresh out of training and had never been assigned to be anyone’s bodyguard before. He knew he had what it took to defend someone and keep them safe, but asides from that, he was clueless.

It didn’t help that Noctis wasn’t talking at all.

Noctis didn’t move until the loud clock rang again.

It was six in the afternoon and it was time for dinner.

Noctis left the room with Prompto following behind him. They made it back to the dining room and Noctis was not at all surprised when he once again ate alone.

Noctis schedule was the same every day. Nothing ever changed. He woke up every morning in the same way, and he went through the same boring lectures and exhausting training. Then after that, he would lock himself in the last room in the right wing. He would lay there with the crystal welcoming him and glowing brighter when he was around.

Rinse and repeat. Nothing ever changed.

The clock kept ringing every day, and every day the paint looked a little bit more faded, and every day the numbers looked like they were about to fall. But it kept ticking.

This time, it ticked and it twitched.

“Soooo, what exactly do you do in this big room with that not creepy at all crystal?” Prompto was the one to break the silence.

Noctis looked up from his book and met Prompto’s curious eyes. They were very blue, like some of the light shining from the crystal.

“I’m bonding with it, we are supposed to eventually become one,” Noctis said as a matter of fact and turned his attention towards the crystal. “I can feel its magic, I can feel it growing stronger every day.”

“Ohhhh,” Prompto nodded slowly and just awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “Can you guys not bond without any noises or what? Because, like, this room is legit kind of creepy and it doesn’t help when there is no one to talk to.”

Noctis blinked a couple of times and then sat on the floor. He frowned, tilting his head and giving Prompto an odd look. “Uh…well, there is not much to talk about.”

“No, there is always a lot to talk about, what do you mean?” Prompto rolled his eyes and walked over to sit on the floor next to Noctis. He leaned his chin against his hand. “What book were you reading?”

“My book?” Noctis blinked a couple of times.

“Yeah, the book you just vanished like one wishes they could banish the memory of senior prom,” Prompto chuckled.

Noctis wasn’t exactly sure what Prompto was talking about but he made the book appear again. “It’s a book about legends and myths of the starscourge. Some legends say that it can be healed by different people…while others only talk about the crystal and the chosen one.” Noctis mumbled the last part and looked over at the crystal. He reached out to touch it and felt the energy that was trying to take him, but it couldn’t quite do it yet.

“Mhmm, that sounds preeetty depressing,” Prompto sighed and got his phone out, “What if we play tic-tac-toe instead?”

“Tic-what?” Noctis frowned, now looking more confused than ever. He watched as Prompto looked through his phone until he found the app he was searching for.

“Tic-tac-toe. I don’t mean to brag but I’m a pro at this game,” Prompto said with a pretty braggy voice. He wriggled his eyebrows and picked the first move. “I’ll be x and you can be circle. You have to connect three of the same to win. Your turn.”

Noctis lost every single game. He was frustrated and half pouting at some point but he kept trying to beat Prompto. He was so focused and distracted, he forgot the ticking of the clock until it rang again.

Noctis found himself playing the same game again, but by himself on his notebook. Ignis was going on and on about some kind of magic formula for fire, but all that Noctis could do was quietly play the game on the corner of his notebook. Maybe today he could beat Prompto at it, but he wasn’t so sure about it.

Noctis couldn’t practice the game during training, but he could during dinner. He kept playing against himself until a new page was filled with the simple game. It was after lunch that Prompto came back and like always he arrived after Noctis was done and he followed him to the crystal’s room.

Noctis wasn’t sure exactly how he felt when he was able to beat Prompto for the first time. There was a deep warmth spreading from his bell to his chest, a feeling that had his lips twitching and a smile spreading across his lips. It made him feel something he had never felt before and for the first time, he wanted to do it again.

“Alright, you got me with that game, but let’s switch it up, how about hangman?” Prompto asked with a raised brow. “Never played that one either, uh?”

Noctis quickly shook his head and watched as Prompto opened up a new app in his phone.

“This one is pretty easy too, you gotta guess whatever word I’m thinking of but if you don’t guess right in a few tries, then you get hung and I win,” Prompto explained the rest of the rules and picked his word.

Noctis ended up losing again and was sure Prompto had to be cheating, because how else could he guess what word Noctis was thinking of so well. It just wasn’t possible.

“You aren’t hard to read, y’know?” Prompto said with a triumphant smile after he won once again, “You keep picking words of things around you, and might I remind you, I’m your bodyguard. I know what’s around you.”

Noctis huffed with a childish glare. That night he picked one of the biggest dictionaries they had in the whole citadel and looked through different words he didn’t know. Like hell, he was going to lose again.

Noctis was distracted during his lecture again, trying to decide what words to use against Prompto. Even during training, he tried to figure out how to make it not so obvious that he had looked up difficult words just on purpose.

They didn’t play any games that afternoon.

Noctis ended up spending the rest of his afternoon with his father and Cor. He hadn’t realized what day of the week it was, and so it was time to test out how much he could extend his magic and the power of the crystal. Noctis’ connection was growing, it was expanding and getting stronger. He could feel it in his very being, the warmth that was moving through his veins and the power that he could feel at his fingertips. It was not enough to overextend his father’s own control over the crystal, but he was getting closer.

“You have to focus more Noctis, you have to bond faster. You are making progress but it isn’t enough,” Regis said as he exited the room with Cor following behind.

Noctis stood there, with Prompto by his side, and for the first time in two days. He heard the damn ticking from the clock again.

* * *

“Why did you became a crownsguard?” Noctis wasn’t really expecting an answer. He never did. It was rare when anyone tried to hold a conversation with him but somehow he knew, he knew that Prompto was going to tell him.

“Mhmm, that’s a hard one,” Prompto said as he drew another card from the pile on the floor. He was trying to teach Noctis card games this time.

Noctis hummed and stared at his cards. He switched them around, placing the ones that looked the same together. He was used to getting a reply like that, it usually meant that the conversation was over. It was the reason why he was surprised when Prompto started talking again.

“Well, it’s just something I felt like I needed to do, y’know? The world out there is getting pretty tough. I know things aren’t the best right now, and I just wanted to do something to help. I actually tried for the glaives fist, but it turns out that for some weird reason I’m a bit more compatible with magic than what I first thought, and so they decided that after my glaive training I was going to become a crownsguard,” Prompto nodded and fixed his cards. “I mean, that doesn’t save me from what’s out there, not at all, but I feel like I’m kinda making a difference.”

“A difference?” Noctis tilted his head and curiously stared at Prompto.

“Yeah, it feels like I’m helping people. Like, I’m helping to make this world better. It’s all about making a difference in someone’s life, to make things better. I want my life to mean something, I feel like it didn’t mean anything for a long time. I needed to be part of something bigger than myself,” Prompto sighed quietly, and leaned his chin against his hand.

“Something bigger than yourself, uh?” Noctis said quietly and glanced over at the crystal.

“Yeah, I want to help make this world a better place, and what better way to start by helping the main hub!” Prompto grinned and flicked the deck of cards. “It’s your turn to draw.”

Noctis lost the game again, but he didn’t mind it. It was fun to play games with Prompto, and somehow he could feel his chest warming up every time he could hear him laugh.

* * *

Noctis couldn’t truly understand Prompto’s words that well, but at the same time he felt as if he had heard them his whole life. They sounded familiar, even if they weren’t the same. They sounded so similar to everything he heard through his life, but they were different. Prompto’s words were warm, they were alive. They had something he couldn’t describe. They weren’t just rehearsed. They weren’t just thrown at him. He could feel that these words belonged to Prompto, and although someone else could use them, they were his, only his.

Noctis couldn’t recall owning words like this. He couldn’t even recall the feeling that Prompto was giving when talking. He couldn’t feel the drive, the enthusiasm, and passion. He couldn’t replicate his smile, and he couldn’t laugh like he did.

Noctis wasn’t sure how things were so different when they were still the same. Just like he couldn’t understand how the old clock was still working.

* * *

“So, I’m still kinda new around here, so they haven’t like told me much about this funny rock, why exactly do you guys have to bond?” Prompto asked as his hands moved over the chess board in front of him.

Noctis did know how to play chess at least, it was a game in which the two could at least have an even match. “The crystal has been part of the Lucis family since we came to be, it was a gift from the gods. Well, at least that’s what the books say.”

“Oh, well, that’s kinda cool and hard to believe,” Prompto said as he moved his pawn one space forward.

“Yeah, not a lot of people know about it. It’s a secret. The crystal is what gives the Lucis their magic. Anything that uses magic is powered up by my dad, but he gets his magic from this crystal,” Noctis moved his knight, and hid the smirk that was trying to crack on his lips.

“Oh, damn. Like, I knew the crystal was important but not this important. I kinda had to skip on all the history lessons since training is done a bit faster nowadays,” Prompto said and made his next move on the board.

“Faster?” Noctis asked with a frown.

“Yeah, like I said things are kinda rough out there, so they are cutting training by a lot. You don’t get to learn a lot, just enough to be a good fighter,” Prompto shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“Oh…” Noctis sighed quietly and stood up. He touched the crystal and gently leaned his forehead against it. “It’s my fault.”

“What do you mean?” Prompto furrowed his brows and stood up as well. He was watching Noctis, noticing how the crystal was changing colors. The blue hues were changing to purple and a light green.

“The crystal has a connection with the Lucis, but it will only truly fulfill its destiny when the king of light is born. The king the crystal has chosen to be the last vessel and the one that can withstand the power to destroy the starscourge,” Noctis explained and closed his eyes, feeling as the crystal’s energy slowly pulled him closer. “That’s me, I can end it all. People could stop suffering, they could live in peace.”

Prompto wasn’t sure what to say. He could only stare at Noctis as the crystal started to glow. The energy like strings were moving again, filling the room and moving like fish under the water. The soothing energy coming from the crystal was numbing, and it almost felt as if it was talking.

“If I could die faster, everyone would be happier.” Noctis pulled back from the crystal and couldn’t help himself but let out a loud yelp when he was pulled against Prompto.

Noctis wasn’t sure how to react, but Prompto’s arms were wrapped tightly around his shoulders and he was being squeezed against him. He didn’t know why, or how he knew, but he slowly returned the hug. He was still in shock, his eyes wide as he stared at chest in front of him. The warmth that he felt before was back, it was spreading and moving to his head and he could feel his eyes burning. He could feel the heavy tears forming in his eyes but he didn’t let them fall.

“Don’t say that. What kind of fucked up story is that?” Prompto asked and pulled back, his hands still tightly on Noctis’ shoulders as he forced him to look at him.

“It isn’t a story, it’s a prophecy. It already started,” Noctis replied and motioned towards the crystal. “I have been consuming the crystal’s power for years now and yet, I haven’t aged like my father. I can feel it waiting, it’s waiting for me to be ready. Like a piece of your soul that you didn’t know you were missing.”

“Bullshit,” Prompto said again, not wanting to believe this. Yet, Noctis sounded so sure. If this was the truth then, everything could indeed end. It could end any day. It was just a matter of waiting, still, this didn’t feel right, this didn’t feel right at all. There were people out there that died younger than Noctis and yet, Prompto was sure they had lived far more than Noctis ever had.

In these cold rooms, in this obscure demeanor, there was nothing to live for, there was nothing to wish for. It made sense now. Everything was starting to make sense. Prompto hadn’t realized it before. Everything was a scheme, a plan that was rolling in motion. Everyone knew this, including Noctis. The right-wing in the citadel was a deathbed, and they were just waiting for the person inside of it to die.

* * *

Prompto was struggling to fall asleep that night. He kept repeating Noctis’ words in his head. The fight against the starscourge was going to end. It was finally going to come to an end. The idea itself just felt so far fetched but somewhat Prompto knew it was true. But even it felt like a dream that was soon going to finally come true, it also felt as if ice was crawling down his back.

Everyone could agree, that it was okay for one person to die in order to save the masses. Hell, even Prompto was willing to make that sacrifice, but that was his choice. He was going to do it willingly, he wanted to do it willingly, but Noctis. Noctis’ situation was different. He was never given a choice, he never had one.

In the end, Prompto wasn’t able to sleep, it was also the first time since he moved to the citadel’s right wing, that he was able to hear the loud ticking sound coming from the old clock.

* * *

The days went by quickly. Noctis never realized how time could move so fast when he was actually enjoying it. When he actually felt like he was alive, it was a completely different experience. He never felt anything like this before, and he couldn’t help the small smiles that wouldn’t leave his lips.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. The room that had once been dedicated for nothing but the crystal now had a small table with two chairs and a ton of different board games and card games. Books and comics were scattered across the floor, including a few magazines that showcased the life outside the citadel. Noctis didn’t know how beautiful Insomnia truly was.

Noctis didn’t know how big the city he was trying to protect was. He had no idea how bright it was at night. He didn’t know any of these people, any of these celebrities and artists. He had never heard any of their music but now he could live what they were living. He could hear it through Prompto’s phone, and he could watch it.

The people that were happily smiling, the people that expressed their love and risked everything to be with those they cared about the most. All of this was so different, it made the colors brighter. It made his food taste better. It just made everything, feel alive. In the numbing grey world he lived in, he could see colors again, and it was then that Noctis realized that Prompto’s eyes were actually the same color as the sky the glaives would fly through.

* * *

Prompto hummed quietly and rubbed his chin with his fingers as he stared at the old grandfather clock in front of him. Noctis was standing next to him, not really knowing why they stopped here. He was looking in between Prompto and clock, wondering what Prompto was seeing that Noctis could not.

“Mhm, this clock needs some elbow grease. It’s freaking loud, doncha think?” Prompto glanced over at Noctis.

“Well, it’s pretty old,” Noctis wanted to agree with Prompto. He wanted to agree with how loud the damn thing was, but he also just found himself trying to defend the clock. He was trying to give excuses as to why the clock was the way it was.

“Yeah, but I think with a little bit of work we can fix it up. Maybe throw on some paint as well,” Prompto shrugged and lightly nudged Noctis with his elbow. “Yeah, yeah?”

“I mean, I guess,” Noctis shrugged and winced a little bit. It sounded like something fun but at the same time, he wasn’t sure about it. He was supposed to be bonding with the crystal during this time, not fixing up an old clock.

“It’s gonna look sick once we are done with it, you’ll see,” Prompto grinned from ear to ear.

The next day Prompto came back with a bag full of supplies and a stolen ladder that he took from somewhere in the citadel. He followed Noctis to the old clock and looked around it before finding the switch to turn off the gears. He flipped it off and Noctis watched as the clock slowly and quietly came to a stop.

“It’s not moving,” Noctis said worriedly and looked at Prompto.

“Yeah, I turned it off for a little bit. We’ll get the old guy running again once we are done,” Prompto smiled and kneeled down to take out the varnish and extra tools he brought with him. “I think we should clean him up first.” And with that, he gave Noctis a clean rag and some cleaning oil.

Noctis wasn’t really sure of what to do at all, but he figured it out soon enough. He poured some of the cleaning oil on the rag and then gently rubbed it against the old wood. He was surprised when the dull, and old looking wood started to come to life again. It was looking nicer and shiny, it only made Noctis want to clean the clock faster.

“See, it’s already looking better,” Prompto said as he took out a brush and a can of varnish. He put on some gloves and popped open the can before dipping the brush inside. Most of the varnish on the clock was gone, but some of it was still there. He was trying to at least make it match though, so he started with a small corner and once the color looked somewhat similar he started using large strokes to cover up most of the clock.

“It isn’t as ugly anymore,” Noctis said and watched as Prompto applied the varnish.

“Um, rude, the clock was never ugly to begin with, it just needed some help,” Prompto shrugged and finished the last corner before getting a screwdriver from inside his bag. “Here, while I apply the second coat, you fix the numbers. You can grab some screws from the bag if you need to, just twist them up and tighten them up.”

Noctis nodded and grabbed the screwdriver. He used the ladder and sat on the very top to reach the numbers on the clock’s face. It was odd to do something like this, Noctis had never even imagined that one day he was going to be fixing this old clock. The loud clock that wouldn’t shut up no matter how much Noctis wanted him to. The same clock that kept him up at night sometimes, and the same one that wouldn’t let him run away.

Noctis stopped then and frowned, run away? Where had that come from? He didn’t need to run away, there was no reason for him too. What was he thinking?

Noctis finished screwing the numbers in place and got off of the ladder, still feeling as confused as before from his early thoughts. He watched as Prompto finished the second coat of varnish, his hands moving quickly as they polished the wood and brought the color back to life. The old clock looked so different, it just wasn’t the same anymore.

Noctis felt something stinging, something that was making his chest burn. It was as if there was fire slowly taking him over. A burning flame that was making him tremble. He was burning, but he felt cold. He was burning but he could feel ice on his skin. He was burning and the tears running down his cheeks were the only thing making it better.

Prompto didn’t realize what was happening, not until he noticed that Noctis wasn’t moving. He looked up and quickly got to his feet and grabbed Noctis’ shoulder. “Noct, Noctis, what’s wrong?”

Noctis wasn’t sure of what to say, his throat was dry and it felt as if he couldn’t speak. The tightness in his lungs was making it impossible for him to say anything, and breathing was becoming hard. He couldn’t stop crying. The burning in his chest kept spreading, it was taking over until he was on his knees sobbing. He was leaning his forehead against the cold floor, his whole form shaking as he dug his fingers on the dark marble.

Why was he crying? How could he cry like this? He was no one to feel like this, there was no reason for him to feel like this. It was worse out there, outside the city. People were dying every day, the demons were taking over and he was crying like a child. He was shaking and couldn’t stop the loud sobs from ripping through his throat. He didn’t have any right, he didn’t have any right.

Noctis looked up when he heard footsteps from the hallway. He looked up in time to see his father and the judging eyes that wouldn’t let him go.

“I want to know exactly, what the hell were you two thinking?” Regis asked as he slammed his cane down on the floor, making it echo inside the small dining room. He was looking at his son with a stern look.

“It was my fault, your majesty. I suggested fixing the clock, I apologize. I overstep my boundaries,” Prompto said, his voice firm although it was cracking a bit more than usual. He was standing straight, with his arms behind his back as a soldier would.

Noctis was looking at him, not understanding how Prompto wasn’t flinching underneath his father’s stare. It was probably since Prompto was, after all, a trained crownsguard and glaive. It made sense for him to be able to address his superiors like this. Noctis, on the other hand, didn’t know what to say, he couldn’t even form words. He wanted to just hide in his room and nothing else.

“You did indeed, crownsguard. Your duty is to escort my son and guard him, nothing else. He does not need distractions like these!” Regis slammed his cane on the floor again and Noctis flinched. “You know what’s at risk, you know what the war out there is doing. The last thing we need is for the crystal’s sacrifice to waste his time with a damned clock!”

Noctis froze, his father had never called him that. Not even when he explained to Noctis about who he was all those years ago when he was only a four-year-old kid. Not even when he was trying to motivate him, or push him. He had never done it.

Noctis missed how Prompto flinched at the king’s words as well, but he said nothing. Prompto only gave a firm nod.

“Leave us, Noctis,” Regis said and Noctis knew better than to make his father repeat himself twice.

Noctis closed the door behind him. He knew he needed to go to his room, but instead, he ended up in front of the old grandfather clock again. It did look a lot better, better than ever. The numbers were now straight, and black again. The coat of varnish was shiny and a rich deep dark brown that almost looked black. The silver pieces now actually looked silver since Noctis polished them up.

The clock didn’t look so ugly anymore, not at all.

Noctis wasn’t sure how long he stood there, but he only looked away when Prompto came to stand next to him.

“I think we did great,” Prompto said and then reached down to grab a small knife that was hidden on the side of his boot. “But we missed one part.”

Noctis said nothing as Prompto gently grabbed his hand and guided him towards the side of the clock. He gave Noctis the knife and gently nudged him forward.

“They say that people leave a mark after fixing up an old clock. I dunno if its true, but I think we deserve it,” Prompto grinned and lazily ruffled Noctis’ hair. “I think our initials would do.”

Noctis nodded slowly and shyly moved the blade over the wood. He carved his initials and then handed the knife over to Prompto. Prompto was faster than him, but his carving was far worse. Noctis couldn’t help but to quietly chuckle at the two initials that were now carved on the clock.

“All done,” Prompto smiled and put his knife back where it belonged before turning his attention back to Noctis. “Listen, Noct…I-”

“I’m sorry,” Noctis interrupted, “If I hadn’t started crying like that, we could have heard my dad coming and we could have avoided all of this.”

“No, no, Noct,” Prompto frowned and gently placed a hand on Noctis’ shoulder. “Don’t ever apologize for feeling what you feel. Never, even if other people force you to. What you feel, who you are, it’s important.”

Noctis nodded quietly, his nails digging against the palms of his hands as his fist closed. He was trying not to cry again.

“I…I wanted to talk about something else,” Prompto said and looked away. “I’m…I’m being sent away. I’m going to fight in the front lines. I’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow.”

The world went quiet.

Noctis couldn’t hear what else Prompto was saying. He was talking to him but he couldn’t hear him. It felt as if he was drowning as if water was filling his ears and his lungs. He couldn’t breathe.

The next morning Noctis woke up to chaos and a dark sky. No one came to get him, and he didn’t care. The whole castle was running around, trying to get ready for what was about to come.

The sky was dark, even though it was daytime, the sky was dark. But the world was still sinking. Noctis felt as if he was walking underneath the ocean. A garden with bright, blue flowers that were at the bottom of a lake. The world was ending. The darkness was taking over and he didn’t care.

The crystal was a dark purple and Noctis only had to touch it to feel what it felt. He could feel it crying and calling out his name. It felt as if it was singing, and the melody was echoing in his head. But he didn’t care. He just didn’t care.

He couldn’t care about the darkness that was pouring out of the crystal and the purple fog that was slowly covering the floor. He didn’t care at all. It hurt. He couldn’t remember ever hurting like this before, even when he was alone, even when there was no one around him. He had never felt like this. He was burning and he couldn’t stop crying.

The doors slammed open. It was his father. It was Ignis and it was Gladio. It was Cor and It was Clarus and lastly, it was Prompto.

“Noctis,” Regis called out his name.

The room trembled and the crystal shrieked as a demon would. The colors that were once bright and warm were now dark and cold. The whole citadel was trembling and the large double doors collapsed behind them.

Noctis rubbed his lips together as tears rolled down his eyes. He was crying non-stop, his body trembling.

Prompto was the first one to take a step forward. He held his hands up near his chest, trying to show that he meant no harm but the crystal was already begging to settle down. He kept getting closer, his steps slow and hesitant. He wasn’t sure of what was about to happen, but he couldn’t stay back, not when Noctis looked like this.

Noctis closed his eyes and let out a loud cry when Prompto’s arms finally reached him. He clung to him and buried his face against his chest, not caring at all about how loud his sobs were and how his lungs couldn’t quite grasp for air. He was shaking his head, his hands tightly gripping Prompto’s uniform.

“It isn’t fair,” Noctis finally said in between sobs, “It isn’t fair…I don’t want you to die. I don’t want you to go.”

“Noct, no, it’s fine, everything is fine. I’m not going anywhere,” Prompto quickly said and gently rubbed Noctis’ back before kissing the top of his head.

“You’re going to leave, they’re going to send you away,” Noctis said, repeating what Prompto told him the night before.

“I’m not going anywhere, Noct,” Prompto said again and shook his head.

“You are…” Noctis said quietly and pulled back, he swallowed another sob and gave Prompto a weak smile. “Everyone is, everyone will be. Soon.”

Prompto wasn’t sure of what Noctis was talking about, or at least he wanted to pretend like he didn’t know, but the sense of dread growing inside of him wasn’t letting him ignore it.

“Noct, you don’t have to,” Prompto shook his head, a weak, sad smile twitching on the corner of his lips.

“I have to, I’m making a difference here,” Noctis swallowed heavily, as another wave of tears rolled down his cheeks. “Prompto…Prompto, I don’t want to die.” the words came trembling as Noctis looked down and rubbed his hands against his eyes, trying to stop the tears. “I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die.” he kept saying over and over again as another loud sob cracked his words.

“I don’t want to die, please, I really don’t,” Noctis leaned against the crystal. The once dark colors were turning bright again, and the soothing melody that seemed to come from within the crystal could be heard again. “I don’t want to die, but if I don’t then you’ll die.”

Prompto shook his head and tried to reach out for Noctis but this time he couldn’t. Noctis was right in front of him but it was as if he couldn’t reach him anymore. “You don’t have to do this,” Prompto said again as his voice cracked and his eyes welled up with tears. Noctis didn’t have to do this, no one did.

Noctis shook his head and smiled weakly. He rubbed his tears away with the palm of his hand and swallowed heavily. He could hear the crystal again, and it was words that he had never heard before. Words that made so much sense even if he hadn’t heard them before.

“I love you,” Noctis said and smiled. He stared at Prompto as he said those words.

Prompto shook his head and quickly tried to reach him again but it was as if the crystal had enough then. The bright blues and purples took over and Noctis was pulled within the light. A light so blinding that Prompto had to cover his face with his arm. The crystal was trembling, and the light was only getting brighter and brighter. It was quickly expanding and growing, taking over everything until it flashed and a wave of warm light reached every single corner in eos.

Prompto kept his eyes tightly shut, the warm light was reaching deep inside of him. It was making his chest tight and he could feel new tears in his eyes. But then he felt something else, he felt a familiar pair of arms hugging him one last time. A warm body that was smiling and whispering to him the same words that were said last.

It was over too fast. The dark sky vanished, and the citadel was left in ruins. It was as if nothing ever happened, the blue sky was back and the heavy atmosphere that had once been all around them was gone.

Prompto stared at the empty room. The crystal was gone, and so was Noctis. There was nothing else in the room but the games they used to play, and the books that Noctis used to read. But there was no Noctis anymore and there was no darkness.

Prompto looked around the room one last time, still not sure of what just happened. He saw how everyone else was okay, but just as in shock as they were. He walked out of the room and noticed how the windows of the citadel were all shattered and some of the ceiling was gone. The marble floor was cracked and uneven, but as Prompto kept walking, something in the distance was intact.

The grandfather clock was there, not a scratch to be seen.

Prompto sat next to the clock, and for the first in forever, he wished he could hear it tick. But Prompto knew, that even if he turned it back on, he wasn’t going to be able to hear the ticking anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> the worse part about working out is when you feel like your legs have given up on you and they wanna die faster than your will to go to work.


End file.
